


Frozen Descent and the Aftermath of Loss

by Floofiest_Thrush



Category: Castle Cats (Video Game)
Genre: Drowning, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Ice Skating, Purrissmas 2019 AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:01:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26649463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Floofiest_Thrush/pseuds/Floofiest_Thrush
Summary: In this AU, it's 2019 Purrissmas event with one difference. Edward falls into the ice.
Relationships: Kai & Pipsqueak, Kai/Pipsqueak if you squint, Pipsqueak/Molotov
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4





	1. Frozen Descent

Edward blinked as he removed his glasses. They were covered in snow, he could hardly see from them anymore. He bit his lip. This snowstorm would likely be equally to blame.  
"C'mon! The lake's almost empty!" Edward looked up to see the lithe, white-furred molly's frustrated gaze upon him. Edward put his glasses on and continued without a word. His words wouldn't be audible anyways.

Edward gazed down at the frozen lake as the two cats reached the top of the slope. Catniss was indeed correct. He could only count six or so cats on the ice. If Edna were here, she'd be in a tizzy over the lack of safety precautions. 

Catniss grabbed his paw and began sliding down the slope, eliciting a startled yelp from Edward. Catniss herself slid seamlessly onto the ice as she let go of Edward. He tripped and crashed nose-first into the frozen sheet. Catniss huffed with indignation.

"I would think you should've learned to brake by now." She mewed. She shrugged as she looked out into the flurry. "I suppose this would be the best time to practice, when hardly anyone else is..." She trailed off, her eyes resting on a pair across the lake: A blond molly in a sparkling indigo skirt, and a smitten-looking grey-brown tabby. She scowled and turned back to her skating partner. "You took the potion this morning, right?" She asked.

"Ah, yes, of course." Replied Edward, opening his bag and motioning to the fluorescent potion. He held the side of his head as his gaze landed upon it. He gritted his teeth as the pounding in his forehead intensified, and the olive and purple blur at the edge of his vision intensified briefly. Edward sighed as the pain subsided. As he had not had any time to test the potion, some side-effects were to be expected. 

"Okay, good." Meowed Catniss as Edward looked up. "Ready?" She asked, but did not wait for an answer as backed up.  
Edward took a deep breath and regained his balance. He could do this. Well, he had to. Catniss gracefully slid towards him as Edward spun past. She grabbed his paw and spun him around once again. 

Their routine went on for a fair while, and they started over each and every time Edward slipped and fell on his side at the same jump each and every time. Catniss twitched her whiskers in annoyance. She glared at the pair across the lake once again and sighed. She somewhat reluctantly backed up again, glaring at the watery, cold world below the ice. Edward gulped. Catniss was deathly afraid of the water, hopefully her anxieties weren't getting in her way. Edward blinked as he wondered whether she felt the same solicitude for him. He shook his head and chased the thought from his mind.

The edges of Edward's vision went green and violet once again as he glided in Catniss's direction. Oh dear, not again...He thought as he clenched this teeth, forcing himself to continue through the dizzyness. 

Just as Edward was recollecting his thoughts, he felt the frozen, solid mirror give out beneath his paws. He could do nothing but look down as the sharp edges of the ice cut into his pelt and his veins were exposed to the frigid waters. Despite this, Edward kept his eyes open as he descended further towards the bottom of the lake. A pounding in his head threatened to break his skull as his vision clouded and he could no longer feel air in his lungs.

Edward struggled to move in the cold water as Catniss ran over to the cavity in the surface of the lake. Her eyes glinted with determination as she prepared to dive.

Then she stopped. 

Edward opened his clenched jaw to cry out for help but felt the water rush in between his teeth, choking him and his words. Catniss loomed above, a terrified expression upon her countenance as she stood frozen, one paw above the water. 

Edward strained his ears as he heard a pounding sound on the surface of the ice and shifted his blurry gaze to a dark shape plunging down into the lake towards him. Kai! Edward attempted to flail his paws, to reach out, but it was too late. His lungs were filled with frozen water and he blacked out. Kai was too far away. It was too late. Edward couldn't hear Kai's desperate screams as she reached out her paws over the growing static in his ears, in his nerves, in his eyes.

And suddenly, all was silent.


	2. It Can't be True, Can it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was feeling particularly and unusually motivated this afternoon, so have a short early update :P  
> Also, Kai is my favorite character. I want to give her a hug.

Kai sank her claws into Edward’s foot. She flinched as she felt the warm blood against the frozen water. As she swam up and glanced at Edward’s face, she felt a chill down her spine. 

_No._

That was the only thought that ran through her mind as she continued to swim upwards towards the opening in the ice up to the surface. The warm tears forming in Kai’s eyes mixed with the freezing water. Much like the skin beneath her thick pelt, her mind felt momentarily numb. 

Kai was torn from her thoughts as breathable air rushed into her lungs. She nearly collapsed as Edward’s frozen, stiff corpse hit the ice sheet with a splash and a dull thud. By this time, Conan and Angela had skated over after hearing the thundering cracks and splashes. Conan looked in horror down at the sandy-tan tom on the ice in front of him, while Angela’s gaze darted from each cat to the next. Kai looked down at Edward, then let her eyes drift to the guilty-looking molly who stood before her. Kai’s pelt flared up, and all feeling remaining from swimming through the cold water as anger filled her usually impassive and collected mind. The feeling reached through her and coursed through her veins. She did not like it- no- Kai’s eyes narrowed and she felt her teeth become bare to the harsh, cold air. She did not like _her._

Kai straightened up and loomed over Catniss, her heated gaze and the tears streaming down her face for nothing but this self-absorbed, cowardly, _killer_. Kai said nothing, as she had never felt this way towards any cat before, and for once did not know how to articulate her words. Angela stepped between the two mollies and placed a gentle paw onto Edward’s shoulder. Kai did not flinch but slowly allowed her fur to flatten as Conan and Angela’s eyes gazed at her with pity. Her rage had boiled down to a simmer, and she felt herself give out under the weight of her grief as she collapsed onto the ice and buried her face into her now deceased friend’s pelt, further soaking his cape with her tears. 

Conan eventually stepped towards Kai and gently nudged her shoulder. He tenderly picked up Edward’s scruff in his teeth. He had to be gentle, for he had the feeling that if he so much as let Edward’s paws scuff against the ice, Kai would- well, he didn’t know. He had never seen her like this and while he wouldn’t necessarily call himself and Kai friends, he doubted anyone ever had. _Except for maybe Edward._ Conan choked a bit at the thought. 

Kai stood up to support Edward’s right side and Angela his left. Catniss stood hunched over, unsure of what to do. She opened her mouth, but a warning glare from Angela cut her off. The four cats trudged gloomily through the snow, no noise passing between them, save for the occasional choked sob from Kai. 

Catniss hung slightly behind, unsure of what to say. She let her ears droop. How was she going to explain what happened once they returned to the guild?


	3. In Which The Guild Is Informed Of the Day's Events.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guild is informed of the day's unfortunate events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, sorry for the unannounced hiatus! Some things happened in the canon Castle Cats story that I had timeskipped through and was struggling to come to terms with. However, this was a story that I really didn't want to leave hanging! I will finish this piece of trash if it's the last thing I do.

The four cats carried the corpse with them as they entered the guild hall. The room was grand and has several wide halls branch from it. Guarding the nearest hall was Maximus, who only raised an eyebrow as the ginormous door shut out the frigid weather behind them. 

Maximus stepped back a little bit as the cats advanced past him towards the center hall: Where the primary office and PA system was located. While not aware that Edward's pulse was lost and his pelt was cold, he let a sympathetic glance towards a still distraught Kai. 

He couldn't think of a single cat in the guild who actively disliked Kai. She was a pillar of wisdom, and many cats were glad that she called them "friend."  
The four cats continued on, their cold, wet paws leaving prints on the scarlet and gold rug beneath them. At this point, the other hall guards had at least stolen a peek at them. 

As they reached the main office, Angela gave Conan a nod as he dissapeared with Kai and Edward's corpse while Catniss stood her distance outside the door, looking down at her paws.

Angela sighed and lowerd her voice as she turned to Catniss, who returned her gaze as she caught the shimmering of Angela's dress in the light when she changed her position. 

"What was he to you?" She asked, no coldness in her tone. Catniss bit her lip and looked away, giving a halfhearted shrug. 

"A friend, I guess." She tugged at the carpeting below with her trembling claws.

Angela narrowed her eyes. "I've met a few cats who consider him a friend, and they treated him nothing like you did." Catniss flexed her claws a but more as Angela referred to Edward in the past tense, affirming that he was indeed dead.

"It was for a competition, wasn't it? I had to encourage him, but he didn't really seem to want to-"

"He didn't want to?" Angela inquired further. She opened her mouth to say more, but Conan's voice on the PA system boomed through the halls and cut her off. 

"All guests and heroes of this guild, please report to the guild hall at once for an important announcement." His voice could be heard trembling on the last sentence.

Angela and Catniss locked gazes for a moment before Kai and Conan carrying Edward's corpse emerged from the office. Conan gave both mollies a curt nod before they all returned to the grand hall. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kai held Edward's corpse as she stood between Conan and Angela, with Catniss to Conan's right. Conan looked over the gathering crowd of cats in the guild hall. 

A wail was heard as Purrcilla entered the room as caught gaze of her deceased coworker. She pushed through the crowd and was soon joined by Pipsqueak and Molotov as they advanced towards the stage. 

"Oh god, is he alright?" Asked Purrcilla in a desperate tone. Kai's eyes filled with tears once again as she looked away. Conan gritted his teeth as she gave Purrcilla a sympathetic look and shook his head.

"You don't mean..." Pipsqueak chimed in. A tear began to form in her glittering ice-blue eyes as she leaned onto Moltov's shoulder. Purrcilla was pacing and muttering to herself. Pipsqueak eventually climbed up to the stage and she and Kai exchanged a long embrace. 

Nervous muttering filled and echoed through the hall, but it was all silenced as Conan tapped his microphone. 

"Unfortunately, this year's duo-ice skating contest will be canceled. The... The ice on the lake is growing thin, and it is no longer safe to use." He beckoned Edna. "I trust that you will organize proper safety measures to prevent anyone from going on the lake." Edna merely nodded and began jotting down some notes.

At this point, three quarters of the eyes in the room were fixed upon a sobbing Kai, a mourning Pipsqueak in her significant other's embrace, and a wide-eyed Purrcilla all looking down at Edward's limp body. Conan raised his voice again. 

"As many of you can tell, there was an accident. A very unfortunate accident on the lake today."

The guild members began exchanging words once again. They spoke of Kai's misery, Catniss's guilty expression, and of the likeliness of an event in which the ice on the lake was broken. Conan silenced the crowd as he raised his paw.

"There will be a funeral tomorrow for all who wish to attend." He stepped off the stage and turned to Kai. "My dearest condolences."


	4. Hall depths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward is taken to see Adriel and a coffin is prepared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow it's wonky pacing time. To be honest, it's mostly this and the next two chapters that I'm having trouble with. After that though, I've got it all mapped out.

Kai looked after Conan as he stepped offstage. She blinked. She had never been particularly fond of Conan. In fact, he was one of the very reasons that she had to hide that usually, she enjoyed transforming into a canine. She flicked her tail: She usually got away with it, Edward always did his best to cover for her. 

_ Edward.  _

A fresh flow of tears gathered in her eyes as she stepped closer to the corpse at her paws, but still managed to look away. Kai spent the next few minutes standing in place before Pipsqueak tapped her on the shoulder. She opened her eyes to see that thankfully, the grand majority of guild members had enough tact to leave the hall and leave the remaining cats to their grieving. 

“Kai, darling-” Started Pipsqueak. She paused as Kai stood up to face her. For once in her life, the royal feline was at a loss for words as she witnessed the dullness in her friend’s eyes, with a contradictory flame of intensity skating the outer rim of her pupils. Kai wiped her tears against her forepaw. She bit down onto the collar of Edward’s cape and gingerly dragged him offstage. She should probably see Adriel. Kai turned to Molotov and Pipsqueak, and her ears perked up as she realized that one cat was missing. 

“Where did Purrcilla go?” She asked. Molotov clenched his teeth and rolled his eyes. Pipsqueak was about to open her mouth to speak when in her peripheral vision, Kai saw Purrcis tugging at his unresponsive mother’s cloak. The calico molly seemed too preoccupied crying and every so often stepping in Francis’s direction, who was currently busy talking with his fellow mage: Khoshek. Pipsqueak and Molotov’s fur prickled along their necks. 

“That l’il Purr-cilla should leave him alone.” Growled Molotov as he lashed his tail. Pipsqueak huffed and wiped a tear from her eye. 

“Edward is dead, and here she is mooning over Francis again!” Followed Pipsqueak, turning to Kai expectantly. However, Kai only responded with a weak nod. The trio watched as Purrcis looked down at his paws and proceeded to seek Francis’s attention instead. Kai couldn’t help but feel the slightest glow of pride in her chest: She had served as one of Purrcis’s primary mentor figures when his biological parents did not provide him with the guidance he desired due to the circumstances of his birth. Kai smirked. Even Edward was fond of the bright little kitten, and had even once remarked that he reminded him of himself at that age. Kai looked down at the floor, her eyes half-closed. The soft glow in her chest was replaced with the fresh sting of loss. She shook her head and turned around, holding the corpse of the tan cat.

Across the room, Purrcilla noticed the three cats dragging her co-worker’s body down the hall. Guilt flashed across her countenance as she ran to catch up with them. Molotov merely grunted as she joined them on the way to see Adriel. 

The four cats continued down the hall until they came across a door. It was framed with an ornate limestone construction, detailed with images of falling souls and hungry shadows. Pipsqueak knocked on the door. The hollow sound of her paw against the wood echoed through the hall. The four waited for an undeterminable amount of time as shuffling and a few shrill squeaks could be heard. Eventually, Adriel emerged, carrying his signature lantern. He opened the door further and beckoned the others inside, glancing nonchalantly at Edward’s limp body. 

“I expected that I would be seeing you sometime today.” He said. Despite the gentleness of his tone, one or two of the group could not help but recoil at his mildly condescending words. A rage similar to that of when she looked at Catniss started to build in Kai’s eyes as she looked up to the white tomcat before them. Seeing this, Adriel held out a paw. “Forgive me, I’m afraid that the daily requirements of my duty have… desensitized me to situations such as these, to a degree. I am very sorry for your loss.” He continued. The blaze in Kai’s eyes cooled as she nodded. Purrcilla nodded in acknowledgment, accepting his apology. Pipsqueak’s expression softened, but she still turned her gaze. Molotov placed his paw upon her shoulder. 

“Right, then.” I suppose we ought to get to work.” He picked up Edward’s body as Kai reluctantly released it, not completely ready to say goodbye. Purcilla placed a paw on Kai’s shoulder, reminding her to stay put. Adriel began putting his powers to work. “Do not fret. His physical being will remain intact when it is returned to you, and subsequently, the earth.” Purrcilla flicked her ear. His reasoning for adding the last few words seemed redundant. Perhaps it was. She bit her lip.

By the time the mood was halfway into the sky, the four cats remained by the doorway: Pipsqueak and Molotov had fallen into a light slumber, Purrcilla was staring at the dull tiled floor, and Kai had not let her gaze drop from where Adriel had disappeared. They had not talked much, only existing quietly in each other's company. 

A brief flash of light signified Adriel’s return. Upon the ground lied a simple but sturdy coffin. No cat dared look inside, but Kai set her paw upon its lid. 

“Thank you for your services.” Mewed Pipsqueak as she graced her paw over Kai’s. Adriel nodded in response. 

“It is merely my duty.” He replied. “You may take your leave now. This-” A glare from Kai and Molotov cut him off. Adriel took a second to rephrase. “ _ He _ will be delivered inside his coffin to Conan’s office by morning for the funeral.” Kai nodded. The five cats took a moment to stare at the coffin in silence, reflecting on the knowledge that their deceased guildmate- or friend- served as its contents. 

**Author's Note:**

> Whelp, that happened! I'll update every week or so until I'm finished!


End file.
